Railroad-crossing signal



Feb; 23, 1926. 1,574,723

T. YELCIC RAILROAD CROSS ING SIGNAL Filed July 1, 1925 Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VEBBONIC, OF REPUBLIC, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Application filed July 1, 1925. Serial No. 40,755.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TrioMAs YELCIC, a subject of the King of Jugoslavia, residing at Republic, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossing Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railroad signals and more in particular to railroad crossing signals.

One of the main objects of this invention is to provide a signaling system for railroad crossings which will give warnings to the public a considerable time before a railroad train reaches the crossing. Another object of this invention is to provide a signaling device that will set itself again into normal or neutral position after the train has passed the crossing. A further object is to provide a signaling apparatus which has warning signs adapted to appear only at the approach of a train and to disappear from view after the train has passed. Still a further object is to provide a signaling device which can be applied satisfactorily for crossings having a single track as well as for such with several tracks, and which will operate regardless of the direction of travel of the trains. signaling apparatus which is positive in operation, simple in construction and installation. Additional features and advantages of this invention may appear from the fol lowing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this application, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the general embodiment of my invention for a railroad crossing having two tracks.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the principal operating mechanism of my signaling de- Fig. 3 is a front elevation of Fig. 2, show ing also a part of the track bed construction.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a so-called strike-arm used in connection with this signaling system and intended to be installed on the locomotive or tender of the trains.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of an oscillating disc signal used in this invention.

Reference being had to the drawing, the operating mechanism of my invention consists of sets of bell-crank-levers 1 placed ad'- Yet another object is to provide a jacent the track a considerable distance of and at both sides of the railroad crossing; each bell-crank-lever having a vertical arm 2 and a horizontal arm 8 united to a central 7 hub at provided with gear-teeth 5 on its periphery. The bell-crank-levers of each set are securely mounted on a common shaft (5 which is mounted for rotation in standards 7 comprising two parallel bearing supports 8 formed integrally with the base 9, the front and rear stops 10 and 11 which limit the movements of the bell-cranlz-levers, and a vertical post 12, the purpose of which will be described later. Suitable bolts 13 are used to secure each standard to a wooden base or tie 14.

Disposed beneath each bell-crankshaft G, in parallel relation thereto and mounted for rotation in suitable bearings 15 provided in thebearing supports 8 is the rack-slia-ft 16 upon which are fastened the segmental spurgears 17 adapted to mesh with the teeth on the bell-crank-levers. At one end of this shaft is keyed, or otherwise secured, the spurv gear 18 which meshes ina' suitable rack 15) provided at each end of the pull-rod 20 which runs parallel to the tracks between both sets of'operating mechanisms and by means of which the latter are operated "si--' multaneously. As shown in Fig. 1, and for reasons to be explained later, these racks are disposed on opposite sides of the pullrod. To reduce friction, the later is preferably mounted. on rollers 21 suitably spaced throughout its whole length.

At the crossing are set on each side of the railroad tracks two posts 22 connected at their tops by the parallel cross-beams 23 at the middle of which is provided a box-like enclosure 24 in which are mounted the electric bell 25, the electric motor 26, the oscillating disc signal 27 and a movable sign,

- such as the representation of a watchman 28. The oscillating signal .27 is operated by the motor by means of a crank 29 mounted on the motor-shaft, and the connecting rod 30 which connects the arm 31 of the oscillating signal with said crank.

This signal is rockably mounted on a pin 32 and comprises also a vertical, arm 33 having at its lower end the target-like disc 04, preferably provided at its center with an electric light 69 that is operated by means of theelectrical wires 70connected to the same electric circuit as the motor and the bell. At the upper end of the vertical arm is a counterweight the purpose of which is to equalize the weight of the oscillating disc and thus reduce the load on the motor.

Mounted on th'e'pull-rod 20 is an arm 36 at the end of which is provided the electrical contact-clip 37 to which is connected the end 38 of the electrical conductor 39. This contact-clip is disposed to engage a stationary contact-plug 40 to which is connected the other end a1 of the conductor 39.

The movable figure 28 is, operated mechanically by thepullerod 20 by means of a bell-crank-lever 12 rockably mounted on the bracket .43. secured to one of the posts. The lower end of the vertical arm de ot this lever is slotted to engage a pin 15 secured in the pull-rod, 'andthe horizontal arm 46 is hingedly connected by means of the pinconnection 17 to a vertical rod .48 which is guided and supported on one of the posts by means of the guides 19. end of this rod is a pin-connection 50 by means of which is operated the upwardly bent lever 51 having one end fulcruined in a bearing 52 secured to the post and supporting at the upper end the hingedly mounted figure 28. The latter is suspended above its center of gravity in order to always maintain a vertical position, regardless o1 the inclination of its supporting lever.

, The operating bell-crank-levers 1 are actuated by means of a special strike-arm .53 which must be mounted suitably on the under franie 5ft of each locomotive or tender traveling on the railroads provided with my signaling system. This strike-arm is composedofan upper member 55 and a lower member 56 which are hingedly connected strike-arm to the engine or tender frame.

The lower member is preferably provided at its lower end with a bulbous enlargement 62 which serves as the striking head for the strike-arm.

On the operating shalt 6 is securely and suitably mounted a crank 63 having a pin 6 1 to which is attached one end of the helical spring 65, the other end of which is attached to a threaded eye-bolt 66 which is adjustably secured in the post 12. The purpose of this crank and spring, mechanism At the upper is to complete the quarter turn rotation of the operating bell-crank-levers which was begun by the strikearm. As will be readily understood by referring to the drawing, the strike-arm is not adapted to rotate the bell-crank-lever full 90 degrees because it strikes the latter at a point above the center of rotation and thus leaves the bell crank-lever after it has rotated approximately 45 to 50 degrees. The position of the crank and of the point of attachment of the spring must be so selected that the uncompleted rotation of. the bell-crank-lever is effected by the spring. The purpose oi the front and rear stops 10 and 11 is to limit the'amount of rotation of the bellcrank-lcver to substantially 90 degrees.

The method of operation of my system may now be succinctly described; it is as follows: Assuming that a train be coming from the left side, in Fig. 1, the strike-arm 53 on the locomotive will come in contact with theupper arm 2 of the operating bellcrank lever 1 and, with the assistance of the spring 65, will rotate the same'in a clockwise sense until said upper arm strikes the rear stop 11. This rotation will cause a counter-clockwise rotation of the racksllat't 16 at the left side of the crossing and a left to right horizontal movement of the pullro d 20. Owing to the reversed arrangement of the rack 18 and the rack-gear 19 at the right end of the pull-rod, the right hand rack-shaft 16 will be rotated in a clockwise sense and the operating bell crank-levers 1 counter-clockwise so that the horizontal arm 3 will now assume a vertical position. After the train has passed the crossing, the strike-arm on the locomotive strikes the now vertical arm 3 of the right hand operating bell-crank-lever 1, thereby causing all the bell-crank-levers and the pull-rod to assume their original or normal position. It will also be seen from Fig. 1 that the first movement o l the pull-rod will'cause the movable eiiigy ot the watchman to appear below the enclosure 2 1 and also close the contact between the movable contact-clip 37 and the stationary contact-block 10, thus establishing a current of electricity whereby the bell, the motor, the oscillating signal and the electric light thereof become operative to call the attention of the public.

If two trains should follow each other closely, or iftwo trains traveling in opposite directions should'cross each other at or near the railroad crossing, it will be readily seen from Fig. 1 that once the signaling device has been set by the first train, it will remainin that position until said train has passed beyond the other set of operating bell-crankdevers. The strike-arms of all subsequent trains being simply folded backwards as they strike the upstanding arms of the bell-crank-levers, a further rotation of which would, at the present time, be prevented by the stops 10 or 11.

It is evident that the bell-crank shafts 6 and the rack-shafts 16 must be mounted below the railroad tracks; for this reason these parts and their supports are installed in It will be understood, of course, that the arrangement I have herein shown is merely suggestive of many that might be adopted in carrying out my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the construction illus trated otherwise than as specified in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A railroad crossing signaling apparatus comprising a set of bell-crank-levers positioned at each side of said crossing and adapted to be operated by a strike-arm positioned on a passing train; a rack-gear actuated by each of said bell-crank-levers; a pull-rod running parallel to the railroad track and having at each end arack to be engaged by one of said rackgears; electrical switching means operated by said pullrod adapted to open and close an electrical circuit to an electric-bell, an electric motor and lights; mechanical means also actuated by said pull-rod and adapted to operate a visible warning signal; said sets of bellcrank-levers being disposed to rotate simul- "aneeus and in opposite directions.

2. A railroad crossing signaling apparatus comprising a set of bell-crank-levers positioned at each side of said crossing and adapted to be operated by a strike-arm positioned on a passing train; a rack-gear actuated by each of said bell-crank-levers; a pull-rod running parallel to the railroad track and having at each end a rack to be engaged by one of said rack-gears; electrical switching means operated by said pull-rod adapted to open and close an electrical circuit to an electric-bell, an electric motor and lights; mechanical means also actuated by said pull-rod and adapted to operate a visible warning signal; said sets of bell-cranklevers being disposed to rotate simultaneously and in opposite directions, and means to limit the amount of rotation of said bellcrank-levers.

3. A railroad crossing signaling apparatus comprising a set of bell-crank-levers positioned at each side of said crossing and adapted to be operated by a strike-arm positioned on a passing train; a rack-gear actuated by each of said bell-crank-levers; a pull-rod running parallel to the railroad track and having at each end a rack to be engaged by one of said rack-gears; electrical s vitching means operated by said pull-rod adapted to open and close an electrical circuit to an electric-bell, an electric motor and lights; mechanical means also actuated said pull-rod and adapted to operate a visible warning signal; means to hide said warning signal from view when in inoperative position; said sets of bell-crank-levers beingdisposed to rotate simultaneously and in opposite directions, and means to limit the amount of rotation of said bell-cranklevers.

l. A railroad crossing signaling apparatus comprising a set of bell-crank-levers positioned at each side of said crossing and adapted to be operated by a strike-arm positioned on a passing train; said strike-arm being adapted to fold backwards when striking an unyielding obstacle; a rack-gear actuated by each of said bellcrank-levers; a pull-rod running parallel to the railroad track and having at each end a rack to be engaged by one of said rack-gears; electrical switching means operated by said pull-rod adapted to open and close an electrical circuit to an electric bell, an electric motor and lights; mechanical means also actuated by said pull-rod and adapted to operate a visible warning signal; means to hide said warning signal from view when in inopera-' tive position; said sets of bell-crank-levers being disposed to rotate simultaneously and in opposite directions, and means to limit the amount of rotation of said bell-crankv levers.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

- THOMAS YELCIO. 

